The megachurch industrial complex is grappling with a significant dilemma. Often, these churches start small, but are built around a production or personality rather than the gospel itself. It’s rare to see a large church that doesn’t depend on some form of entertainment or professionalism during Sunday services to keep people returning. Whether it’s the charismatic personality in the pulpit or an emotionally-charged musical performance, these churches have to keep producing so they can pay and feed those doing the producing. This is undoubtedly big business.
With big business comes customers, and that’s something these megachurch pastors must understand. They should not be surprised when their congregations behave like paying customers rather than contributing members of a community of believers in Jesus Christ. What you lure them with, you must retain them with.
Here, former Southern Baptist Convention president, JD Greear, scolds his congregation for acting like customers instead of church members. This is in spite of his church’s focus on creating the sort of entertainment one might expect from a paying customer at a professional sports game or a weekend at Disneyland. True love for Jesus is about loving His church, but if you deliver a superficial message and cater to goats with worldly entertainment, don’t be shocked if your seats are filled with goats who are only there for the show. If the show isn’t up to par, don’t be surprised if they leave early.
This is JD Greear’s church putting on a production. He is angry that people treat church like a production.
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